An Exercise In Nonsense

It's fun, it's light, [but] it has a hard time when its tries to get heavy.

It really made me laugh, but for some moments I was tearing up because I could relate so much.

It's simply great fun, a winsome film and an occasionally over-the-top luxury fantasy that never flags.

Everybody seems to be dissing the Jule Styne-Leo Robin score to this friendly little 1955 widescreen musical, so let me put in a word for it. True, Columbia might have had an even better movie had it shelled out for the Bernstein-Comden-Green "Wonderful Town" Broadway score. But this one works just fine. It's tuneful, witty, and to the point, and it gives the great Betty Garrett (a replacement for Judy Holliday, whom Harry Cohn originally cast, but she was trying to be seen as less of a plain-Jane) several wonderful opportunities. Her comic timing's expert, she has a natural warmth, and it's easy to buy her as the overlooked sister of the well-cast Janet Leigh. Columbia, trying Jack Lemmon out in a number of guises at the time, perhaps shouldn't have cast him as a playboyish editor; it's not a very likable part, and he's not a singer, though he did do two other musicals for the studio around that time. But there's a splendid supporting cast, notably Bob Fosse (also choreographing) and a hideously underused, under-billed Tommy Rall. The Blake Edwards-Richard Quine screenplay preserves most of the best lines from previous versions and adds a few of its own, and the location footage is almost indistinguishable from the backlot work. Most raters have this one right--it's unpretentious, clever, happy, and picturesque. But it may send you out humming, too.

My Sister Eileen is about Ruth and Eileen Sherwood, sisters from Ohio who move to NYC to pursue careers in writing and performing, respectively. Eileen is the beautiful but naive younger sister, Ruth is the older, less gorgeous, more practical one. They rent a horror of a basement flat in Greenwich Village, and proceed to interact with the colorful characters they meet in the neighborhood and while job searching. Columbia originally intended the older-sister part for Judy Holliday, one of their biggest stars, but eventually, Betty Garrett was cast. Garrett (who had been blacklisted, and was making a film comeback), is good, but not as freshly energetic as she was in such earlier things as Neptune's Daughter and On The Town. She doesn't dominate the role as I think she could have. She's charming, lovely, wistful, amusing, but a bit subdued. It's not a flaw, just a choice. I prefer Rosalind Russell's more hearty approach in the earlier, non-musical film (Roz also starred in a hit Broadway musical version, called Wonderful Town). But, judge for yourself. Janet Leigh is in many ways perfect for the role of Eileen. She's a sexy girl with a pretty face and great body, along with a sweet (but not too sweet) personality. She pulls off the innocence without being coy.Jack Lemmon is the magazine editor aspiring writer Garrett hopes to impress (and who she falls for). He's charming, and even sings one song very well. But in this version of the story, the dancing men get more screen time. Fosse plays his patented "ardent young suitor" role, in his usual way. Tommy Rall is a brilliant dancer and does well as Chick Clark. Dick York is amusing and so are most of the other players, though Kasznar's landlord is relegated to the background much more than in the original.Garrett, Leigh, Fosse, Rall, Kasznar and Richard Quine (as an actor) were all, at one time or another, with MGM. This film may therefore remind you of one of that studio's musicals. But it also has a youthful freshness particular to the (then) Columbia Pictures writer-director team of Blake Edwards and Richard Quine. Fosse not only appears in the role of Frank Lippincott (played in the 1942 film by Quine) but choreographed, as well. I really enjoyed one or two numbers, especially the wonderful "competition dance" between Fosse and Tommy Rall. They're great dancers, in their prime. Garrett is great in the musical numbers too, and Janet Leigh does extremely well singing and dancing.You will probably enjoy this very pleasant musical.

What if this schlock fifties remake of a decent movie adaptation of a very good musical had had, in addition to Jack Lemmon and Dick York--Jane Russell and Marilyn Monroe? The combination would have been a natural.

I first saw "My Sister Eileen" years ago as a kid. In the early 90's, I saw the film at a tribute to Betty Garrett at which she was present to answer questions. I found her to be a wonderful person full of humor and warm remembrances of her co-stars and experience in Hollywood. She talked candidly about the blacklist that kept her and husband Larry Parks out of films for several years until she made this film, but did not show any signs of bitterness over the experience. What a wonderful lady!Anyway, the film still holds up 46 years later as a fresh and entertaining remake of the Rosalind Russell film of the 40's which I have yet to see. Russell had done the Broadway musical version, "Wonderful Town", which was also done as a TV special some time during the 50's as well. Since Leonard Bernstein was not willing to let his music go without a huge price, Columbia instead hired Jule Styne to write the music. I have seen the TV version of "Wonderful Town" which is enjoyable, but this film brings the story to life in color and with beautiful location footage of New York's Greenwich Village. Shots of the surrounding area including the famous Washington Square make this a must for lovers of the Big Apple. Having visited Greenwich Village several times in the past couple years, I was amazed by how much it has NOT changed! This aspect alone makes "My Sister Eileen" seem as fresh today as it was during its initial release.As Eileen, Janet Leigh is perky and lovable, but it is Betty Garrett who steals the scene as Ruth with her wonderfully likable personality. The not-so-plain jane, Garrett is a struggling writer who comes to New York from Ohio with her pretty sister (Leigh) whom all the boys go gaga over, making Ruth feel unattractive. Before you know it, Eileen has the attentions of sweet Bob Fosse and scoundral Tommy Rall, while Ruth finds herself attracted to publisher Jack Lemmon. In only his third year in Hollywood films, Lemmon had proved himself to be a versitile actor. This was one of three musical remakes he did at Columbia during the mid 50's. The other two were "Three For the Show" (a remake of "Too Many Husbands") and "You Can't Run Away From It" (a remake of "It Happened One Night"). He sings one song ("It's Bigger Than You or Me"), and doesn't do too badly!Then, there are two other characters who fit into the storyline: shyster landlord Kurt Kasznar, and athlete neighbor Dick York (of "Bewitched" fame). Kasznar, Rall, and Fosse had all appeared together in MGM's "Kiss Me Kate". Rall and Fosse's rival dance shows the potential of the future Broadway legend Fosse who went onto create the dances in such memorable musicals as "Pippin" and "Chicago" (as well as direct several classic musical films). Fosse's creative touch is clearly visible here.The musical highlight is the "Give Me a Band" number with a tipsy Garrett leading Leigh, Rall, and Fosse in a dance number with invisible musical instruments. The other songs are hardly classics, but in this film, that just doesn't matter; the shear magic of New York's Greenwich Village and the wonderful stars make this an all-time classic.In comparing this to "Wonderful Town", I can say listening to the Original Broadway Cast and viewing the video of the TV special, I would like to have seen Bernstein's songs in the film as compared to Jule Styne's. The production number of "Christopher Street" (which is not even mentioned in this film) is ironic considering that 15 years after it was written, Christopher Street would become part of another legend: the Stonewall riots for Gay and Lesbian rights. Then, there are two other production numbers lead by Russell: "Swing" and "Conga", which is done in "My Sister Eileen" as a non-sung dance number. Eileen, as played by Edie Adams, comes off as unknowingly selfish, while Leigh's Eileen is a seemingly goody-goody miss perfect. Russell and Garrett are both perfect as Eileen, and I am glad that Garrett had the chance to play the part which Russell had already done on film the decade before.